Present: Fred Childs, Chair, Phil Consentino, Jack Sapia and Town Administrator Russell McAllister.

Review and finalize warrant article language

Mr. Childs opened the meeting at 10:00am and the Board reviewed the warrant articles listed below. The Board expressed reservations about language found in the Code of Ethics warrant article. After review of the warrant articles Mr. Consentino made the motion to recommend the warrant articles (with the exception of the petitioned, zoning and code of ethics warrant articles). Mr. Sapia seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous and so moved.

Fire Department Capital Reserve

Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000) to be added to the Fire Department Capital Reserve Fund previously established for the purpose of acquiring fire equipment and vehicles as determined by the Board of Engineer’s Capital Improvement Plan. The approximate current balance is $63,925. This article is in addition to Warrant Article 2006-??, the operating budget. This article is in addition to Article ???, the operating budget.

Recreation Capital Reserve

Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) to be added to the Recreation Capital Reserve Fund. The purpose of the fund is for the acquisition, design, renovations, and development of the recreation area including fields and playgrounds. This article is in addition to Article ???, the operating budget.

Mosquito Control Expendable Trust Fund

Shall the Town vote to establish a Mosquito Control Expendable Trust Fund under the provisions of RSA 31:19-a? The purpose of establishing the trust fund is to fund the costs of a Mosquito Control program to safeguard the public health from mosquito borne viruses, such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis that pose a threat to human health and safety.

 

Mosquito Control Expendable Trust Fund.

Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $48,000 to fund the Mosquito Control Expendable Trust Fund.

 

Naming Agents to the Library Capital Reserve Fund

To see if the Town will vote to appoint the Selectmen as agents to expend from the Library Capital Reserve Fund?

Library Bond

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,111,600 dollars (gross budget), for the construction and original equipping of a new library building, associated site work, demolition of the existing library, and associated repairs to the Kimball House, and to authorize the issuance of not more than $2,300,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the Municipal Budget Act (RSA Chapter 33) and to authorize the Selectmen to act on behalf of the Town to issue and regulate such bonds or notes and determine the rates of interest thereon; Furthermore, to authorize the withdrawal of $811,600 from the Library Capital Reserve Fund created for this purpose. Passage requires 3/5-majority vote. This article is in addition to Article ???, the operating budget.

Collective Bargaining Agreement

Shall the Town vote to approve the cost item included in the collective bargaining agreement reached between the Town of Atkinson and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 563 (Police employees), which calls for the following increases in salaries and benefits at the current staffing level? Note: the above agreement is for the following years 2006, 2007, 2008. The additional amounts are necessary to fund the cost items for the following years and are:

Year Estimated Increase

2006 $20,093 to cover increases in salaries and benefits

2007 $13,468 over the amounts for the contract year 2006 for salaries and benefits.

2008 $18,254 over the amounts for the contract year 2007 for salaries and benefits.

And to raise and appropriate Twenty thousand ninety-three dollars ($20,093) to cover the first year costs of the agreement. This article is in addition to Article ???, the operating budget.

 

Road Paving

Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of ninety six thousand four hundred eighty three dollars ($96,483) to pave the following roads; Rose Lane, Deer Run Road, Oak Ridge Road, Stewart Farm Road, Stone Pound Lane, and Newbury Drive turn-around. All work will be done under the direction of the Board of Selectmen. This article is in addition to Article ???, the operating budget.

Cable TV

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of ninety thousand dollars ($90,000) for the purchase of cameras, editing, and studio equipment for Atkinson Community Television. Such some to come from Franchise fees returned to the Town by Adelphia in the amount of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) and from the Atkinson Community Television Capital Reserve Fund in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). As of October 2005 the balance in the Atkinson Community Television Capital Reserve Fund is $333,338.29. No tax dollars will be needed to fund this appropriation. This article is in addition to Article ???, the operating budget.

Creation of a Revolving Loan Fund

To see if the Town will vote to create a revolving fund pursuant to RSA 31:95-h, for the purpose of police special details. All revenues received for police special details will be used solely will be deposited into the fund, said funds will be used solely for police capital expenditures, and the money in the fund shall be allowed to accumulate from year to year, and shall not be considered part of the town’s general fund unreserved balance. The town treasurer shall have the custody of all monies in the fund, and shall pay out the same only upon order of the governing body and no further approval is required by the legislative body to expend. Such funds may be expended only for the purpose, which the fund was created. The amount to be raised and appropriated as a one time expenditure (seed money) to establish this fund is $15,000.

 

Code of Ethics

Are you in favor of the adoption of the amendment proposed by the Atkinson Code of Ethics Committee, which would make the following technical changes to the Atkinson Code of Ethics Ordinance? The technical revisions are as follows:

Section & Paragraph

All – Replace "Code of Ethics" with "Conflict of Interest" (to correspond with New Hampshire RSA 31:39-a Conflict of Interest Ordinances); and to refer to "Conflict of Interest Committee as "Committee" throughout the ordinance.

Section IV, Family – Reinsert word "parents" after "spouse" which was inadvertently deleted during a previous printing.

 

Petitioned Warrant Articles

Shall the Town vote to amend the Town Road Agent’s position from a part-time position to a full-time position effective March 20, 2006? This amendment will change the Road Agent’s schedule from part-time to full-time at a salary to be determined by the Board of Selectmen.

"Are you in favor of increasing the Board of Selectmen to 5 members?"

To see if the town will vote to prohibit people actively employed by the Town of Atkinson, as well as those who serve as Department Heads within the Town of Atkinson, from serving on or being elected to; the Board of Selectmen, or the Budget Committee. (Please note: if this article is adopted, anyone currently in conflict may serve out his or her term of office.)

This is very similar to the School District’s Policy, which prohibits anyone paid by the District to serve in ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE. The School District’s policy even prohibits school lunch workers, teacher’s aides, and school bus drivers from serving in ANY ELECTED OFFICE.

The adoption of this article will bring the Town of Atkinson into line with our local School District policy as well as that of many Southern New Hampshire towns.

Wetlands Zoning Ordinance

 

 

 

 

 

WA Tax Costs

FD 60,000

Rec 25,000

Mosquito 48,000

Road 96,483

Cemetery 4,500

CBA 20,093

Cemtery 4,500

Total 258,576

 

WA Non Tax Costs

Cable TV 90,000

Library 811,600

Total 901,600

WA Bonded Tax Costs

Library 2,300,000

WA Total 3,460,176

 

 

There being no further business to come before the Board Mr. Childs made the motion to adjourn. Mr. Sapia seconded. The vote was unanimous and so moved. The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:28am.

Respectfully,

 

Russell McAllister

Town Administrator

 

 

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Fred Childs, Chair

 

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Phil Consentino

 

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Jack Sapia